Dispensing apparatus for liquid hydrocarbons



I 1,632,815 June J H. ALLEN DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR LIQUID nybnockfisou's v Filed Nov. 19.- 1925 Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INLAND GLASS COMPANY, OF

. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR LIQUID H YDROCARBONS.

Application filed November 19, 1925. Serial No. 69,986.

My invention relates to oil dispensing apparatus, such for example, as are used in gas filling stations where motor vehicles are supplied with motor fuel. It has been common practice heretofore to employ transparent containers so that the purchaser of gasoline would be able to see what is being measured out to him. The walls of these containers have consisted of open-ended glass cylinders, the ends of which are closed by covers or plates of various design clamped under pressure to the end of the cylinder with gaskets intervening to prevent leakage. These cylinders are usually about 9A inches in diameter, and at the ends the glass is ground so as to make a smooth and true finish. The fact is, however, that grinding the edge of a sheet or cylinder of glass is very much like nicking it, for the glass is weakened, and experience has shown that a considerable percentage of these glass cylinders usedat filling stations crack when subjected to the degree of clamping pressure which is necessary to prevent leakage past the lower end of the cylinder. These glass cylinders are somewhat expensive, but the greastest disadvantage is the danger which attends the breaking of a cylinder when filled with gasoline. Such cylinders are usually mounted approximately as high as a mans head or higher, and the result is that if the cylinder breaks it is apt to deluge a bystander, and fires have frequently resulted from the sudden and unexpected flow of gasoline. These accidents. cannot well be avoided because itrequires a certain minimum pressure per linear unit of glass edge to seal the joint against leakage, and furthermore it is difficult in tightening up the clamping rods to produce a uniform pressure throughout the periphery, and one which shall not beexcessive at any one point.

In other words, it is diflicult to prevent excessive and unequal strains on these open-' ended cylinders, and this is another factor which contributes to the percentage of breakages. The object of my invention is to provide in apparatus of this class a glass container which will greatly reduce the liability of breakage.

I obtain my objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which v I Figure 1 is an assembly view showing the apparatus chiefly in diametrical vertical section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatusviewed at right angles to the direction in Figure 1, a portion of the wide wall and stand pipes being broken away to reveal the internal arrangement.

Figure 3 is a plan section taken on the line 33 Figure 1.

Like numerals denote like parts through i out the several views.

According to the design selected to illustrate the invention there is a base frame or casting 10 supported by legs 12 or otherwise from a foundation lt of any suitable type. This casting has an outlet duct 16 through which the liquid may be drawn ofi'. Inthe particular connection illustrated, duct 16 communicates with. a nipple 18 leading to an elbow'EZO to which the delivery hose 22 is attached. It will be understood that these. features may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of the invention;

Near the center, the base frame 10 has screw threaded bosses 24: which form couplings for connecting pipes 26 which extend below the apparatusvto pipes 28 which project up into the container; One of these pipes 28 is a filler pipe and the other an overflow. It will be understood that the numher and functions ofthese internal pipes may be varied to suit requirements.

On its upper surface the base frame 10 has an insulating surface 30 for supporting a gasket 32. It also has a channel 3st for supporting an outer gasket36.

The container 38, instead of beinga plain, open-ended cylinder more nearly approximates an inverted bottle. It is closed at the top and at the bottom is closed for about half its diameter, the central opening being surrounded by a short annular flange 40. This flange rests upon thegasket32, and the shoulder of the container rests upon the gasketifiti. The gasket. 82 should be made of a material which will not be readily inent illustrated affected by gasoline or similar hydrocarhon, whereas the gasket 36 should be of rub her or similar resilient material which will cushion the container, thus permitting a limited vertical adjustment and also absorbing the ordinary shocks and jars which may be created in various ways, for example, by loaded motor trucks in the vicinity of the apparatus. i

The container-is clamped down onto the base frame 10, for instance by a spider 42 and clamping bolts 44:, which pass down through the spider and through the base friune. lads 4b are desirablebetween the arnis of thespider and the inner surface of the container to cushion the clamping arms and distribute the strains over the glass. It will be noted that in the particular arrangethe pads are approximately back of the flange 40 and thus the thrust of the pads is absorbed by that portion of the container which is reinforced by the flange. In other words, the pads are applied near the point where the container is reinforced.

the container and @According to the illustrated design, the base frame 10 has an upstanding peripheral fla'nge 48 which surrounds the lower endof prevents it from being laterally displaced. Thisflange also carries aperturedlugs or eyes 52 which accommodate rods .54. These rods serve the dual function of protecting the lass fromcontact with ex ternal objects and they also serve to'clamp down the cover 54.. This cover overlies the container and is held down by the rods 5% which screw into it. A gasket 56 intervenes between the cover and the top of the container to produce a cushioning effect and distributethe strains. s [As a result of my invention thev liability of failure of the apparatus is reduced to a minimum. As. the top of the container is closed there isno ground upper edge to cause weakness. The top of the container, on the contrary, forms a wall "for bracing and strengthening the sides of the container, as in an ordinary bottle or demij ohn. The same is true at the bottom of the container except that here there is a central opening of reduced diameter. This opening, however, is reinforced by the flange 40 and the danger of breakage is reduced in proportion. Furthermore the aggregate pressure required in order to prevent leakage at the gasket 32 is very much less than if this gasket were in line with the outer walls of the container. If the diameter of the central opening is only half as great asthe diameter of the outer walls of the container, it follows that the perimeter of flange 40 is only half as long as the perimeter of the outer walls. The result is that the aggregate pressure is reduced one-half. All other things being equal, a definite pressure per running inch is required to prevent leakage, and of course if the perimeter is reduced, the aggregate pressure will be proportionately reduced. As a result, theaggregate pressure in my a'pparatus is much less than with the previously presses upon the top of the container, but

chiefly from the spider 42 which is located inside of and atthe bottom of the container. The tie rodsor clamping rods 54; and the cover 55 serve chiefly to protect the sidesand top of the glass from beingstruck by ex ternal objects, and to assist in holding the container in place. These rodsand the cover might, however, be dispensedwitln-for the container rests jointly upon the gasket 32 and gasket 36, and is clamped down in position by the spider 42 and hence under certain conditions the rods and cover would not be required. V i

It will also be observed that as tus in its illustrated form contains two pairs of clamps, viz the cover. 55 cooperating withthe supporting frame,,and the spider 42 cooperating with said. frame, and as the my appara- V clamps are applied at diflerent distances from I the central axis of the container, it is evident that the pressure necessary to prevent leakage and to. support the container will be more effectively distributed than if there vention provided thatthe top of the con tainer extends inward for a considerable distance, thus makingeith'er a conti'nuoustop or. a flange at the top which will avoid the need of grinding the ends of the cylinder. It will also be understood apparatus is intended primarily for the dispensing of liquids it may be otherwise used. For example by creating a vacuum within the container the apparatus may be used for drawing off the old oil from thecrank case of a car.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to, secure by Letters Patent is:

Apparatus for dispensing liquid consisting that while my of a glass container approximately in the form of a cylinder having glass extending inward at the top and lnrving a constricted opening at the bottom, a support for the container having a plurality of openings for the passage of liquid, a spider located within the container and adapted to bear upon the constricted portion thereof, and means for clamping the support and spider toward each other to prevent leakage from between them.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed iny name.

JOSEPH H. ALLEN. c 

